RSB's Radiant Red Tacoma build

[Wainiha]

Can't wait:wings:

 

[sr5sushi]

yay!!! :ylsmoke:

 

[4RunAmok]

So sorry guys. Obviously I fell off the grid for awhile... (like 8 months )

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I forgot I hosted the photos on a server that went down last month. I'll start working on fixing the links and uploading the photos this week.

I also know I'm long overdue for an update! :sombrero:

You can just upload them to ExPo using their photo gallery and never lose them again

 

[RSB]

Ya, that's true. But I also have my own website where I store everything. Forgot I was still hosting some on mobileme's servers.

 

[RSB]

Hey RSB,

Now that you've had the Corbeau seats for awhile, what are your impressions? Worth it?

I drive my truck 85 miles a day, the lack of support from the crappy stock seats is killing me.

Were you considering any other options before you picked these??

Cheers and thanks for all the build thread info.

Kyle

Hi Kyle. Sorry for the 9 month late reply.

Yes. I'd say the Corbeaus were definitely worth it for the most important reasons—support and comfort. What they's not, however, is more durable. The side supports ('bolsters') break-down over time. I've already called Corbeau about it once and they've sent me a replacement for the left one in the driver seat. It only lasted a few months.

The holsters are simply pads of foam shaped to size that I think are sandwiched together (I forgot what they looked like). They lose their shape as you get in & out of the seat. This in no way affects the support, just the quality. Definitely not what I expected from a company like Corbeau. But then again, I really don't know what's the norm. I suspect most aftermarket seats of this design are built the same way.

Aesthetically, I've noticed the black fabric begin to discolor slightly from normal wear & tear. When I first installed the seats, I bought a seat heater for the driver side, which required me to take the seat apart. Although I'm happy with the heater, it too has affected the upholstery. The way it's installed prevents the fabric from fitting back together again properly.

This obviously wasn't a problem with the stock seats—however, the stock seats also weren't black. I would use seat covers, however, I still haven't found any designed for the Corbeaus (or for any aftermarket seat for that matter, really). The 'seat savers' I've been using were a bad idea. Since they aren't really designed to be sat on, they messed-up the upholstery. I know I could fix it if I took the seat apart again—but I just decided to wait until I'm ready later to re-upholster both seats at the same time (better material that also better matches the color of the interior).

I haven't done so yet, but I've been wanting to contact Corbeau to specifically address this problem. Now detailing the problem, I think you've now motivated me to do so!

Regardless, I still recommend these. The most important feature for me was aesthetics. If they didn't match the truck, I wasn't going to commit. These were the best I could find without investing more than $1,000 a seat. Now that I've had them awhile, I'm still glad I did. They're much more comfortable compared to the alternative stock seat option. I just need to fix the upholstery.

 

[RSB]

Photos are back-up for good!

Sorry for the delay...

 

[RSB]

Finally land that fire job maybe?

Something like that. I started working in product management. Digital surveillance, personal security & outdoor lighting security products. It consumes a great deal of my time.

 

[RSB]

A few months back the truck sustained some heavy body damage from a freak hail storm we had here in town.

When it came back from the shop, most of the left side and front of the truck had been replaced and re-painted. It looked brand new!

I've since sold the rear bumper and have taken off the fenders, sliders, front skid plate, roof rack and winch (undergoing repairs).

Here's how it looks today...

 

[frgtwn]

Looks like you have a new antenna!

Ryan, welcome back to the fray. Missed you and the truck, man.

Now that red and white antenna on the forward end of your camper is quite the deal. The tophat may make it kinda slow against the wind, but betcha can reach Durant on simplex! (now that is "doo-rant" to the locals, you know)

Good to see the updates. Looking forward to the next trail run.

Dale

 

[RSB]

Looking for ideas for a new rear bumper, I stumbled across All-Pro's red 'BajaTaco' build.

And boy, is it beautiful. The configuration is exactly what I was hoping to find.

Not only is the raised RTT platform removable and lightweight, the bed is more easily accessible than a canopy (although less secure, obviously). And the rack above the cabin looks like it would belong!

In addition, the wheel & tire combo, sliders and even the rear bumper look like they fit the truck perfectly!

Obviously, I wouldn't run 35s again, as this truck is running LT suspension with fiberglass fenders. I'd have to go the next largest size KM2 available that can accept 17in Walker Evans beadlocks.

I'm seriously considering moving in this direction. A substantial amount of weight would be eliminated as well.

Time to get started with the bumper!

 

[RSB]

For storage security, I'd probably use a combination of locked-down Pelican cases and ARB storage drawers (that finally made it to the U.S.):

 

[RSB]

Ryan, welcome back to fray. Missed you and the truck, man.

Now that red and white antenna on the forward end of your camper is quite the deal. The tophat may make it kinda slow against the wind, but betcha can reach Durant on simplex! (now that is "doo-rant" to the locals, you know)

Good to see the updates. Looking forward to the next trail run.

Dale

Hi Dale! Glad to be back. Thanks. Haha, I didn't realize I timed that shot so perfectly!

Hope you have good success with getting your truck back up & running again. Hope to see you again sometime soon.

 

[RSB]

When replacing your idler pulley, be careful not to over-tighten the bolt...

After trying to replace the pulley a 2nd time, I realized it was stripped.

At least the bolt from Toyota comes with a new pulley! I can take back the one I bought from the auto supply store.

 

[skrillah]

Thanks RSB for the good seat review. I'm surprised by your findings and actually slightly discouraged. Though, anything has to be better than the crap stock seats. Keep us posted on what Corbeau does for you on a fix...

 

[soonenough]

Still one of my favorite Tacomas of all time, great work. :sombrero:

What are your plans for the rear bumper? Just curious what was missing from the previous bumper that drove you to sell it. Are you going high-clearance?

*EDIT: just went several pages back through the thread and saw your post about disliking the swing-out; I'm assuming that's the answer to my question.